Tickets: £8.50 (£6.00) to include glass of white wine or fruit
juice and nibbles.

Tickets available from Philip Lewis 01234 781796 or

Jill Cheadle 01234 720261

Broadband Internet access for Odell

The trigger level for the Harrold exchange to be upgraded to provide
Broadband Internet access has been set at 300 customers across Carlton, Harrold
and Odell. Since reporting last month another 20 people have registered interest
by going to the BT website ( www.bt.com ) – and
clicking on the Broadband ‘find out more’ banner – where it led them to the
registration page. This means we are now up to 219 people registered. If you
haven’t done so yet, please do and please ask all your local friends to make
sure they have done the same! We only need another 81 people to register. If you
have any problems with the BT website, just email me on jh at kbnet dot net with
your phone number, name and address and I’ll enter the details for you! (note
to our Internet readers - do tell you friends and relatives in Odell, Harrold or
Carlton to make sure they have registered - it they do, we will get broadband
sooner and you will be able to get them on e-mail much more readily and the
won't complain it clogs their inboxes if you send them lots of pictures!)

Odell Village Fete 2004

The date for this year’s village fete is Saturday 12th June. It
will be held in the field in Horsefair Lane as in previous years. Help is
desperately needed both on the committee and on the day. Please ring Jill
Cheadle (720261) if you are interested.

The Fete will be opened by Gerald Robinson, a veteran "Boys Brigader".

As well as the ‘Boys Brigade’ tent there will be all the usual attractions

Family Dog Show Pony Rides Cash Raffle

Tombola Children’s Sports

Lucky Programme Draw Children’s Stalls Ice Creams

Refreshments Many Sideshows

Gifts White Elephant Bottle Stall

Books Cakes Plants Produce

Fete Working Party on 8th May, from 10.00am, at
Doreen Wheeler’s.

Old Parish Magazines

Before we throw them out does anybody want harcopies of old parish magazines
for Odell or Harrold for the last 19 years, from November 1985?

Tim and Liz Dodwell +44 (0)1234 720640

Round and About

A Triumphant Return

It was nice to hear on the news recently that a nationally important historic
relic is to be returned to its home on the North Norfolk coastline

Some
time ago my attention was caught by the saga of Seahenge, as the North Sea
slowly gave up one of its secrets. The coastal tides and winds had covered this
Bronze Age site in ancient times and in the process of time it has now been
exposed again to human gaze. Seahenge was a circle of 55 huge upright timbers
buried deep in what was probably earth in those far off days when it was first
built, but is now seashore. At the centre of this wooden ring was an
impressively large upturned tree root forming what was presumed to be an altar
set at the heart of a prehistoric holy site. It is all guesswork, of course,
because no-one really knows.

As these timbers were exposed day by day at Holme next Sea a veritable storm
of feelings arose as to what should happen to the site. The
archaeologist/preservation party were all for the woodwork to be removed to
"safety" where the timbers could be scientifically examined and preserved. On
the opposing side were the people who believed it should be left in situ,
despite the fact that the site would most likely be destroyed by the tidal
action on timbers thought to be 3000/4000 years old. The local Norfolk
population also resented the fact that their wonderful historic relic would be
taken away from them. Confrontations took place on the beach and all was
recorded on the local television news.

Needless to say Authority won the day over local feelings and the bulldozers
moved on to the site - plucking the old timbers, and then the ancient tree root,
ungraciously out of their historic setting and placing them with great lack of
dignity on to the back of lorries to be carried away.

The destination was Flag Fen on the outskirts of Peterborough, Britain's
Bronze Age centrepiece and one of Europes most important Bronze Age sites. Many
years ago the farmer’s plough first revealed the soggy remnants of an early
wooden settlement preserved deep in the boggy peatland of Flag Fen. The
archaeologists moved on to the site and began to excavate and preserve what
turned out to be a Bronze Age settlement of Europe-wide importance. Over the
years Flag Fen became an authority on the subject of scientifically preserving
ancient timbers dragged from a watery setting, and seemed an obvious destination
for the timbers of Seahenge.

A "henge" is an old word for a circle. Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain is
probably the most famous and means exactly what it says - a stone circle. There
are a number of these circles in Britain, of varying sizes, and the most obvious
example is probably the vast stone circles at Avebury. Archaeologists have also
found traces of a number of wood henges, although little of them now remains,
but Seahenge was a first. Nowhere had anyone ever managed to reclaim a henge
from the sea and its removal was controversial to say the least.

What brings this article about is the recent announcement that most of
Seahenge is to return to the Norfolk coastline. The Heritage Lottery Fund is to
provide just over £800,000 to Kings Lynn Museum to create a specialised site to
incorporate most of the restored and preserved timbers at a location to be open
to the public. Alas, it will not be the complete "henge" as there are far too
many upright pieces to be located on any one site. This is the reason why the "henge"
will not stay at Flag Fen - they could not legitimately devote so much space to
one historic display. The decision then had to be made. Should the timbers be
kept together and displayed and if so, where, and who would pay for it?
Alternatively should Seahenge be returned to the sea and re-instated on the
Norfolk beach?

The Heritage Lottery Fund is enabling most of this ancient relic to remain
available for public display. The front of the exhibit will be a semi-circle of
the restored uprights with its central feature of the massive tree root, but the
remainder of the circle will be formed by a backdrop, meaning that many of the
upright sections will be lost to the exhibit forever...their destination at
present not revealed.

I cannot help feeling glad that this important historic structure is to be
returned to the vicinity in which it was originally placed so many years
ago...but I also feel deep sadness that it will not be complete.

Barbara Corley

W.I.News

Nicholas Warliker was our guest speaker this month; his talk was entitled
‘Making things grow’. Although he touched on what we thought was the topic, i.e.
the need for the right conditions for each plant to obtain optimum growth, that
it was no use putting a shade loving plant in full sunlight, the bulk of his
talk was more on the topic of how plants reproduce. He touched on how flowers
are fertilized and showed us the structure of a flower, and then passed on to
plants that self fertilize, those that need specific pollen and eventually on to
grafting as the only way to truly reproduce some trees. Apparently all Cox’s
Orange Pippins come from one original plant. An interesting talk which he
peppered with tales of his life as a gardener over the last 30+ years.

May meeting

This will be in the Village Hall on Tuesday May 11th at 7.30 p.m.
It is our A.G.M., our opportunity to say thank you to all who help to keep the
W.I. active in the village. We will also be discussing the Resolutions which are
to be debated at the forthcoming A.G.M. in Sheffield

Hostesses and Competition.

Our hostesses are Jane Eshelby and Jill Cheadle. We will be announcing the
winner of our Competition Cup.

Rachel Halton720572

Trad
Jazz at The Bell

The Wodehill One-Steppers

Will play in the garden

On Saturday 15th May

12.30 – 2.30

(weather permitting).

Village Hall News

Events

If you have an idea or can help with these let us know, and
if you would like a venue for a private function, the very reasonable hire fee
helps us maintain the hall.

Village Hall Access

This long drawn out process is still gathering a little momentum. New plans
are being drawn up for presentation to the Planning Department and, once
costings have been confirmed, we should be able to submit an application for
funding assistance. A number of people are working hard to make this happen but
we are at the mercy of many systems and processes, but as things progress we
will keep villagers up to date.

The annual quiz saw a record 13 teams entered. This year’s winners were
The Toon Army, with The Gimboids in second place and after a tie- break The
Tanners were third. All prize money was kindly donated to the Miracle House Gap
Year project.

There was a raffle with the proceeds donated to Miracle House in South
Africa. These will be taken by Rachel Day when she visits there during her Gap
Year.

Keys

Please be reminded that the front door lock has been changed and in keeping
with good practice we have a new arrangement for opening the hall. A list of
keyholders will be posted on the hall door. Harry Smith has kindly offered to
prepare the hall for users ensuring heating is on as necessary and the doors
opened and locked after activities. In the absence of Harry being available
other keyholders will undertake this task. We hope this will not inconvenience
anyone, as keys will not generally be handed out, but it is a sensible approach
to ensuring the security of a valuable asset.

Waste Paper Collection

Thank you for bringing your waste paper to the bins. Though the return is
small, every little bit helps financially and of course the waste is recycled.

Do please support our events, and do suggest to us your ideas for alternative
activities.

Rob Lee (720730) on behalf of the Village Hall Committee.

Exhibition of Paintings

by

Mel Scott

At: Rose Cottage, The High Road, Felmersham.

On: 7th & 8th May 2004

The Mill Theatre, Sharnbrook

Cabaret - Kander and Ebb’s Smash Hit Musical.

Friday 14th – Saturday 22nd May

The tumult of 1930s Berlin brought to you via the glitz and glamour of the
Kit Kat Klub. Memorable songs include ‘Wilkommen’, ‘Don’t tell Mama’, ‘Money’,
‘Tomorrow belongs to me’ and the famous title number ‘Cabaret’. Don’t miss this
exciting and thought-provoking show, which made stars of Dame Judi Dench and
Liza Minnelli.

Drama Summer School 2004. Are you aged 9-18 years? A week
long Summer School at The Mill Theatre under the direction of professional Drama
Tutors is planned provisionally for Monday 2nd to Saturday 7th
August, culminating with a performance on Saturday 7th August. The
course fee is £100. Would you like to take part? To register your interest or
for further details, please contact:

Please send all entries for the June 2004 magazine to Tricia
Hudson (patriciahudson@kbnet.co.uk), Anne Turner or Catherine Corkery by May 12th
2004 at the latest. May we remind you that the editorial team exercises the
right to edit, shorten or alter any items that are submitted. Also, the opinions
expressed in the articles are those of the contributors and are not the
responsibility of the editorial team.

Mike & Jane

Welcome all customers, both old & new to the

recently refurbished

Cock at Pavenham

Hand Prepared & Home Cooked Food is available Wednesday to
Saturday Evenings. Fresh sandwiches, Soups & Ploughmans are available at
weekend lunchtimes

Large garden with fabulous views

Parties welcome in our separate dining room

We are keen that our food offering is of the highest
quality using the freshest ingredients and make no apologies if availability
is limited – so BOOK EARLY!

Quiz night every 2nd Monday in the month

Opening Times

Monday to Friday 5.00pm to 11.00pm

Saturday 12.00am to 3.00 pm & 6.30pm to 11.00pm

Sundays 12.00am to 3.00pm & 7.00pm to 10.30pm

Electronic mail address

email is jh at kbnet.net - I put it like this to avoid spam! - just retype with
the 'at' being an 'at' sign and of course no spaces.